Office of the Indiana Attorney General

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed the Choose Respect initiative as a national effort to help youth form healthy relationships and to prevent dating abuse before it starts. The initiative targets 11 – 14-year-olds and the adults in their lives with the message that dating abuse is not just unacceptable, but also preventable by choosing respect.

The Choose Respect initiative is a much needed effort to reach today's youth with messages about healthy relationships. However, its messages are not just relevant to dating – the skills that youth use to develop healthy, respectful relationships are the same skills that they can use in other aspects of life. Consequently, the initiative offers the opportunity for communities nationwide to increase the number of youth who are prepared to be healthy, safe, and independent members of society.